


show me (your world)

by oncesone



Category: Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, High School, mature - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-14 07:20:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28666878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oncesone/pseuds/oncesone
Summary: Wendy's an art geek; Sooyoung's the captain of the school's cheerleading team.Wendy has just two friends; Sooyoung has the whole school wrapped around her finger.Wendy's never been in a relationship; Sooyoung's currently in one.They're not exactly meant for each other.
Relationships: Bae Joohyun | Irene/Kang Seulgi, Park Sooyoung | Joy/Son Seungwan | Wendy
Comments: 12
Kudos: 86





	1. you & i, on the edge of the unknown

**Author's Note:**

> the wenjoy opposites!AU nobody asked for, and seulrene on the side.

Wendy doesn't exactly know _why_ she's here. 

She should be at home in her cool, air conditioned room, painting on a perfectly blank canvas with a crisp paintbrush in between her fingers. She should be frantically moving her brush across her canvas as she looks out the window, hurrying to get as much detail onto the blank space as she observes the setting sun. She should be in her comfortable bear pajamas that her best friend, Seulgi, got her with a cup of her favorite caramel macchiato in her hand.

And most of all, she should _not_ be at school at eight in the evening.

"Seulgi, I can't believe you dragged me here," Wendy huffed, crossing her arms across her chest. It was way too loud for her liking. She's been in high school for almost four years now, and she's still never been to a high school basketball game until today. All because of her best friend, Kang Seulgi.

Seulgi's her best and closest friend. They're very much similar to one another (although Seulgi's, _way_ more extroverted and athletic than her). They both love art, singing, and most of all, staying at home and watching badly produced and overly-cheesy romantic comedies.

Wendy sees Seulgi as a sister; but she can't deny that her best friend is definitely attractive. She knows that the girl could easily be one of the most popular girls in the school, yet she would rather stay at home with Wendy and drown in popcorn than go to parties and hook up with pretty girls.

Seulgi just smiled at her. She lightly punched her introverted friend's shoulder, winning a whine from the shorter girl. "Wendy. You've literally never been to a high school basketball game. That's just _sad."_

"It's not sad! I'm just not into this kind of stuff, alright," Wendy said, sticking her tongue at her. Seulgi just shook her head in amusement and rested her hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, I just want you to get out of your little bubble for one night, okay? Who knows, maybe you'll meet a pretty girl," her friend teased, wiggling her eyebrows at her.

Wendy laughed and shoved her best friend playfully. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say."

Despite Seulgi's words, she still hated the environment. She hated the obnoxiously loud jocks that were sitting behind her, she hated the smell of body odor that filled the bleachers, she hated the snobby pretty girls that sat in the front row, and she _hated_ how she was at school. 

However, when she looked at the girl next to her, with her eyes bright and her smile wide, she decided that maybe sucking it up for one day wouldn't hurt.

She glanced at the scoreboard high up on the right side of the gym at saw a bright red "10:00" written across it. 

There were ten minutes until the teams would be introduced and the cheerleaders would come out to hype up the crowd. In the corner of her eye, she could see Seulgi glancing back and forth at the timer as well.

Wendy smirked and pinched her friend's cheek.

"Ow! What was that for?!" her best friend whined. She's fully aware of her best friend's crush on one of the cheerleaders on the team. Seulgi never shuts up about the older girl, and she knew she only went to basketball games every Friday to see her.

"You just dragged me here because you wanted to stare at Bae Joohyun all night, didn't you?" Wendy teased, giggling at her friend's slowly reddening face.

"N-no!" Seulgi stuttered, fixing her already smoothened out hair. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Whatever you say, Kang Seulgi, whatever you say you love-bird." Wendy said in a sing-song voice. They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. Wendy observed the gym, waiting for the ten minutes to quickly pass. She looked at the people around her; they all had wide smiles on their faces as they conversed with one another. There were a few teachers standing by the bleachers, keeping an eye on the high school students. There were a few freshmen cleaning the basketball court to get rid of the slightest bit of dust that might be on the floor. But most of all, there were so many people that Wendy's never even seen before throughout her four years of high school.

She realized that like Seulgi said-- she's never really stepped out of her bubble until now.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I please have your attention as we introduce the teams playing tonight at our very own high school!" Wendy looked up and fixed her eyes on the middle of the court. The school's principal was standing with a microphone and a big smile on his face as he looked upon the student section.

"You're real excited to see Bae Joohyun, huh Seulgi?" Wendy teased once again, grinning with triumph as she saw her best friend blush once more. She brought her attention back to the spirited principal and crossed her arms.

"Please welcome the visiting team, the Tigers!" The principal announced. The entire student section broke out into a loud series of Boo's and Wendy couldn't help but laugh at her school's spirit. She never understood why high schools were so focused on school spirit and took sports so seriously, but it was somewhat nice to see everyone so excited. She turned towards her best friend and saw her joining in with the rest of the crowd. She giggled when she even saw Seulgi go to the extra mile by giving a thumbs down to the other side.

When the opposing team finished lining up on their side of the court, the principal finally coughed into the mic. The students already knew that the principal was going to announce their own team, so they broke out into a cheer and stomped on the bleachers. She swears the bleachers might collapse any second, considering how shaky and unstable it was. 

"Well, as you all might know by now, please welcome our very own, Knights!" The students let out ear-deafening yells and Wendy immediately brought her hands to her ears.

"Holy shit!" Wendy yelled, overwhelmed by the screams. Seulgi grinned and simply shrugged, chuckling at her dramatic friend. After the basketball players from her school all lined up on their side of the court, she saw the cheerleaders finally run out, as well. As the seemingly never-ending line of cheerleaders came out, she finally caught the sight of Bae Joohyun and she elbowed Seulgi, who was already staring at her crush.

She laughed at her friend's love-sick expression as she stared at Joohyun and turned her head back at the cheerleaders-- when her teasing smile suddenly fell.

Her eyes followed a particular cheerleader, whose eyes were so bright looking out at the crowd, and whose smile was the most blinding smile she swears she's ever seen.

The girl was tall ( _definitely_ taller than her), she had long, wavy brown hair that fell perfectly upon her petite shoulders, pale porcelain skin-- but what drew her to the girl were those _eyes._

As she stared at the cheerleader, she swore everything felt muffled. She couldn't seem to focus on the chaotic surroundings or the constant hollering anymore, and the obnoxiously loud screaming and clapping didn't bother her-- it was as if she had the inability to focus on anything else but her. 

Suddenly, she felt Seulgi nudge her shoulder. She turned towards her best friend, whose lips were curved into a teasing smirk. "And you called _me_ a love bird, huh?"

\--

That entire night, the only thing Wendy really paid attention to was the pretty cheerleader that stood in the middle of the line beside Bae Joohyun. She didn't really care about the intense basketball game that was happening right in front of her. She didn't even really tease Seulgi about her crush as much as she usually did. She was more interested in the cheerleader that was cheering happily with the rest of her team.

She also _might_ have annoyed Seulgi with a million questions about the girl.

"Who is she?"

"You don't know her? She's Park Sooyoung."

"How old is she?"

"She's a year younger I think, why?"

"Does she actually go here? Why have I never seen her around?"

"I mean she's on our school's cheerleading team, dumbass.. And maybe because you're always in your own bubble all the time?"

"Good point. Is she the captain?"

"She's co-captains with Joohyun I think.. what's up with all these questions?"

"Do you have any classes with her?"

"No, I don't. Now stop asking me so many questions."

"Why? So that you can stare at Bae Joohyun?"

"Shut up!"

Needless to say, she earned a punch and a possible bruise from Seulgi from all those questions she asked her that night.

Wendy lied in bed with a small pillow wrapped around her arms, and just could not bring herself to fall asleep. All she could think about was that girl: Sooyoung. The girl with the bright smile. The girl with those bright brown eyes. The girl who was just so undeniably beautiful.

Wendy groaned and shoved her pillow into her face. She couldn't stop thinking about a girl that didn't even know that she existed.

"I'm so screwed," she mumbled into her pillow.

\--

"So, Wendy," Seulgi said, a smirk on her lips. The two walked side to side, both holding lunch trays filled with (what she hoped was) a ham and cheese sandwich. "Why did you suddenly ask me to sit with you in the _cafeteria?"_

Wendy never sat in the cafeteria. She and Seulgi always ate their lunches outside underneath a small tree, just the two of them. No one but themselves.

Wendy shrugged cooly, "I don't know, I really thought about what you said to me Friday night. That I should get out of my bubble?"

Seulgi scoffed playfully and rolled her eyes, "That's the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard in my life and you _know_ it!" Her best friend laughed and bumped her shoulders. "You just want to see Park Sooyoung!"

Wendy frantically shushed her grinning friend and looked around to see if anyone might've heard her. "Shut up!" Wendy whisper-yelled, her cheeks slightly reddening.

She huffed, "Fine. Maybe I did want to see her. But it's because I literally never see her around, ever!"

"Alright, alright," Seulgi surrendered, picking a piece of her bread and popping it into her mouth. Wendy rolled her eyes and looked around the busy cafeteria. There were hundreds of students in this tiny space. She was glad that no one bothered to look at her as she walked through the cafeteria-- she hated attention.

Seulgi lightly slapped Wendy's arm to get her attention and wordlessly pointed at an empty table, her mouth already stuffed with the sandwich they just bought. Wendy laughed at her friend-- she could never control herself when it came to eating. The two squished through the crowded rows and when they finally reached the table, they sat quickly, making sure that no one could steal their spot.

About fifteen minutes pass since the pair stepped into the busy cafeteria, and she already _hated_ it. She would rather be sitting under the tree with her best friend by her side, maybe a nice book resting on lap or a sketchbook in her hands. But here she was, nothing but the loud voices of obnoxious high schoolers filling her ears and faces of people she's never seen before. 

And it was all just so that she could catch a glimpse of a girl that didn't even know she existed.

She wondered if the girl ever saw her around. She wondered if the girl's heart also jumped when she first laid eyes on her, and she wondered if the girl thought about her too. She wondered--

"Hello? Earth to Wendy?" Seulgi said, waving her hand in front of Wendy's face and holding her sandwich in the other.

Wendy snapped out of her thoughts and looks up at her friend. "Huh?"

Seulgi gave her a confused smile and uncapped her new water bottle. "You zoned out for a second there," she said before taking a sip. "Is everything alright?"

Wendy gave her concerned friend a small smile and nodded. "Yeah, just thinking about our history test next week," she lied. Seulgi is her indeed her best friend, but she was still a little too embarrassed to admit that she'd been thinking about the cheerleader.

She watched her friend as she passionately ranted about how much she _loathed_ history, and how she completely forgot they had even had a history test. And she tried to pay attention, she did, but it's hard to when all she could think about is how Park Sooyoung's smile puts everyone else's' to shame.

\--

"Yeah, so practice tomorrow at six, right?" Seulgi asked her teammate, Jennie, as she pulled her warmer over her head. Jennie nodded and slammed her locker shut before slinging her duffel bag over her shoulder.

"Yep, and its _six_ o clock, not _six fifteen_ ," Jennie teased, gently pushing her teammate.

Seulgi and Jennie have been teammates for as long as they could remember. Ever since they were in junior high, they've been on the same soccer team together, and their chemistry was unmatched by others. They both got along very well, and although they weren't best friends, they always had each other's backs.

Seulgi laughed and pushed her back, standing up and grabbing her bag. "Hey, that was only like one time."

Jennie raised her eyebrows at the brunette and Seulgi gave her a sheepish grin. "Fine, maybe like four times.."

Jennie giggled and the two started walking towards the exit together.

"Honestly," Jennie started, breaking the silence. Seulgi turned her head towards her teammate, giving her her undivided attention. "I'm nervous for the season to start."

Seulgi furrowed her eyebrows as she watched Jennie bite her bottom lip in nervousness. She'd known Jennie for six years now, and during those many years, she'd never once seen Jennie show any sign of anxiousness. Whether it was on the first day of high school, or the last few minutes of a final game, her teammate always showed a brave face.

Jennie turned towards her and sighed. "It's just--, it's our senior year and it's gonna be probably our last season ever playing soccer."

"Since it's gonna be our last season, I want us to do really well so that we can leave high school without any regrets," Jennie finished, running her fingers through her messy hair.

She gently placed her hand on her friend's shoulder, she completely understood how she was feeling. Sure, it was just high school soccer. But she and Jennie dedicated so many years to the sport. They both wanted to end their athletic careers on a successful note.

"I'm honestly nervous too," Seulgi confessed. "But I have one of the most talented players I've ever played with as a teammate, so I'm more than confident that we're gonna kick some ass this season."

Jennie broke into a grin and playfully elbowed Seulgi's side. Seulgi laughed and slung her arm around her long-time teammate's neck. These few months are going to be her last ever season playing soccer, and she was determined to take advantage of every second of it.

\--

Seulgi had no idea it was going to rain today.

As soon as she and Jennie opened the door, they were welcomed with a boom of thunder and pouring rain that seemed like it had no plans of stopping. Jennie already bolted to her car, leaving Seulgi to curse her clumsy self for not checking the weather once again.

Wendy always nagged at her to check the weather before leaving for school, and she wondered if this was karma's way of punishing her.

She shrugged her school backpack off her of shoulders and shoves it into her duffel bag, making sure that all of the zippers were closed. She had a bad experience in which she got all of her school notebooks wet, and she had no intention of repeating the same mistakes.

She huffed and stared at her car, which was in the back of the parking lot due to her being late to class in the morning.

"Shit," Seulgi groaned before sprinting towards her car. The rain quickly enveloped her entire body and she prayed that she didn't get sick and that her stupid Biology paper didn't get wet. She had a season to play and a grade to save.

She frantically unlocked her car and jumped in, throwing the wet bag in the backseat. She quickly turned the engine on and sighed in relief when she felt the warm heater against her cold skin. Her car seat was getting wet, but she could deal with that later. All she wanted to do was go home and take a nice, hot shower.

She pulled out of the parking spot when she noticed a figure standing alone in front of the school entrance. She squinted and drove closer in curiosity when her eyes widened in realization. 

It was Bae Joohyun.

Standing alone.

Looking adorable in her gray sweatpants and oversized sweater.

She gaped at the small girl and watched as the girl worriedly looked out at the pouring rain.

Seulgi felt her heart race. What should she do? She couldn't just let a girl stand in the rain by herself, what if something happened to her?

_Seulgi, this is your chance,_ she thought, gripping the steering wheel. She's had a crush on Bae Joohyun ever since freshman year, and yet she's still never had a proper conversation with her. She attempted to fix her messy, soaked hair and let out a deep breath before driving closer to her. 

\---

"You're never going to guess what happened just now, Wendy!" Seulgi screeched into the phone. Unluckily for Wendy, she had her phone at full volume and winced when the sound of her best friend's voice seemed to echo in her ear. 

"Jesus Christ, Seulgi," Wendy said, "I swear to god I'll only forgive you for nearly making me go deaf if you won the lottery." It was nearly eleven p.m. and she was in the middle of cramming for her Calculus exam tomorrow.

(She really has to stop drawing sketches of flowers during class instead of paying attention; she knows she won't, though.) 

"No, no, no, it's a million times better than that," Seulgi said excitedly. Wendy could just hear and see the smile on Seulgi's face.

"You won a million dollars and are planning on splitting it with your best friend in the entire world?" Wendy suggested jokingly. The last time Seulgi sounded this excited was when Bae Joohyun waved at her during passing period last y-,

"Did you fuck Bae Joohyun?!" Wendy yelled, catching herself off guard by how loud she was. Her eyes quickly shot to her bedroom door and she quietly hoped that her parents didn't just hear her. Her parents disliked when Wendy even said "crap', so how would they respond to her asking her best friend whether or not she "fucked" a girl?

"No!" Seulgi responded, her voice laced with shock. "Definitely not! Do I come off as the type to have sex with a girl on the first date?!" 

"You went on a date with Bae Joohyun?!" Wendy whisper-yelled into the phone, being more conscious of her volume. 

"Okay, it wasn't actually a date. But I saw her after practice and it was raining a lot, so I offered her a ride home," Seulgi rambled. 

"Uh-huh," Wendy said, encouraging her best friend to go on.

"Then, we really hit it off and she said she would buy me food because she's thankful! Isn't she so sweet.. Anyway, we ate tteok-bokki at the Han River and then I dropped her off at home," Seulgi finished. The girl couldn't even hide her excitement, and Wendy was excited for her, as well. Seulgi had a crush on Joohyun for the longest time, and she couldn't help but be extremely happy for her.

"I'm so happy for you Seulgi! You better not abandon me because of Bae Joohyun.. or else I'm telling her you stalked her for the past four years," Wendy joked.

"Hey! I never stalked her! I just admired her from afar. And you know I would never do that." Seulgi insisted. Wendy could hear Seulgi's blinker in the background and realized that the girl wasn't even home yet. 

"I'm kidding. Of course I know," Wendy laughed. "Tell me more details tomorrow, okay? And drive safe."

"Alright, alright. See you tomorrow and love you!" 

"Love you, too," Wendy said before ending the call. She's immediately met with deafening silence and stares at the Calculus book in front of her. The numbers and words on the pages all seemed like gibberish once again, and she couldn't bring herself to focus. Talking to Seulgi about her date with her crush made her really happy, it did, but she couldn't help but think about Park Sooyoung. The girl that didn't even know her name.

(Even Wendy thought she sounded pathetic.) 

Seulgi thought she and Joohyun would never happen, yet here she was all giddy and happy because of their hangout at the river. Wendy wondered if she would ever have that chance with Park Sooyoung, but honestly speaking, how would that ever be?

Sooyoung was beautiful and everyone in the entire school wanted her. 

And Wendy was just, well, Wendy. 

Suddenly, studying for Calculus didn't seem as appealing as it did a few hours ago. 

She wondered how different her life would be if she would just learn to love herself. 

\--

The next day at school, Seulgi would not stop talking about her night with Bae Joohyun. When Wendy asked for details last night, she was not expecting her best friend to give her hours and hours of information about a night that only lasted about two hours. 

But she didn't complain. Seulgi was happy, and that was all that mattered. But she couldn't bring herself to completely focus on Seulgi when she was about to fail the most important exam of her semester. 

"Seulgi," Wendy said abruptly, cutting Seulgi off. "I'm sorry for interrupting you but I'm freaking out right now."

"Why?!" Seulgi asked worriedly as she closed her locker shut. 

"I have an 89% in Calculus and if I don't ace today's test I have no chance of getting an A this semester," Wendy rambled, raking her brain for solutions. She could ask the person next to her for help? No, Taeyong definitely seems like he would snitch on her. Maybe she could write down the equations on a piece of paper and use it during the exam? She sits right in front of Mrs. Shin, that would be a suicide mission. She could--

Seulgi flicked Wendy's forehead, snapping Wendy out of her thoughts and earning a loud (and dramatic) yell. "What was that for?!" Wendy said, glaring at her best friend.

"Just ditch, you airhead," Seulgi laughed, swinging her arm around Wendy's shoulders. "I'll write you a very professional and realistic looking note with my 'parent writing' that I've mastered over the years, and just give that to the attendance office. They don't care enough to really check." 

Wendy thought of all these ridiculous solutions yet she couldn't come to the conclusion that she could just ditch. She's never ditched before, so it didn't even hit her that it could easily let her skip the exam. 

"Fine, Kang Seulgi," Wendy huffed, "I forgive you for flicking my forehead." 

"You love me."

\-- 

Even though she had a very "professional-looking parent note" thanks to Seulgi, she was still nervous when she waited to give the note to the office lady. She was never a good liar. Her friends and family always told her that she was singlehandedly the worst liar they'd ever met. She was always jealous of people that were good liars, because she hated how her emotions were always on display for everyone to see. 

But, like Seulgi said, the attendance lady really didn't care and let her leave as soon as her fingers touched the note. For the first time, she successfully ditched school. 

Honestly, she felt kind of proud of herself. She felt kind of cool. But those feelings quickly diminished when she realized that she had no where to go. She didn't have a car, so she couldn't just go home; especially when home was fifteen minutes by car and she despised exercise.

But, there was a park around five minutes away, so she decided to spend the spend the last remaining hour of school there before going home with Seulgi. The walk was short, and the park was completely isolated since everyone was in class. For the first time, the park wasn't full of teenagers smoking weed under the trees or children running down the hills. Since it was so empty and quiet, Wendy really admired its beauty for the first time. 

She always loved nature. It was one of the reasons why she started drawing. It's no surprise that her sketchbook was mostly filled with pictures of plants, trees, and animals. She loved how it was so effortlessly beautiful, and how it was useful to others in so many ways.

(Maybe it was because she wished she were the same.) 

She wanted to find the perfect tree to sit under, so she walked and walked until she found one that caught her eye. She decided that this was going to be her tree now. No matter how many people sat under it, it would be her tree. She liked the thought that one thing was exclusive to her, even if it really wasn't at all. 

She made herself comfortable under the tree and rested her back on its trunk. The weather was perfect; the sun was bright, yet there was a slight breeze that didn't make the heat unbearing. There wasn't a person in sight, the only sound that filled her ears was the rustling of leaves, and she had her sketchbook on her lap and a pencil in hand. She thought nothing could get better than this. 

She started working on her flower sketch again and quickly become engrossed in her work. She was so grateful she was talented at art. Other than art, there was nothing she thought she was really good at. Seulgi seemed to be good at everything she did, except for cleaning. But it didn't matter, because her other talents more than made up for it. Wendy on the other hand, didn't have any other skill she could boast about. 

She started shading the shadow of her flower when she suddenly heard a voice in front of her. 

"Um, hi." Wendy turned around to face the owner of the voice and her eyes widened. 

There she was-- the girl that wouldn't leave her mind ever since she laid eyes on her at the basketball game. The girl that she'd think about during class and at home despite them never having a conservation before. 

"I, um, he-, hi." Wendy stuttered. Sooyoung lightly laughed at her greeting and she didn't want to do anything else but bury herself in a hole. A very big hole that was six feet deep. 

"Don't worry, I'm not here to harrass you or something," the girl smiled, looking down at Wendy. Despite embarrassing herself just a few seconds ago, Wendy couldn't help but feel a smile creep on her lips when she saw the girl's. That damned smile that she couldn't keep her mind off of was even more beautiful up close. 

"Mind if I join you?" she asked, and before Wendy could even respond the girl takes a seat next to her. If it were anyone else, Wendy would've definitely made a run for it by now. She was on the paranoid side, and would've thought of millions of scenarios that all end up with her on a stretcher. But this was Sooyoung. The girl she undoubtedly had a big, fat, crush on. 

"Okay," Wendy said, feeling her cheeks heat up when Sooyoung's shoulder lightly brushed against hers. 

Sooyoung turned her head to look at Wendy and extended her hand, offering a handshake. "I'm Park Sooyoung," she introduced herself, "Wendy, right?" 

"You know me?" Wendy asked, clearly shocked. She mentally curses at herself for her response. She definitely sounds like a complete loser now. 

Sooyoung laughed, "Is that such a surprise?" Wendy nodded hesitantly and looked down at her sketchbook, feeling her cheeks warm. She was happy, no, _elated_ that Sooyoung knew her name. But she couldn't help but wonder why someone like Sooyoung even noticed her. 

"Are you going to leave me hanging all day?" Sooyoung smirked. Wendy abruptly grabbed her hand for a handshake and can't help but notice how soft her hands were. "Finally, my arm was getting tired."

Wendy had no idea what to say. She was definitely a shy person, to strangers and even acquantinces at times, but to someone she had a crush on? She was a mess. She didn't want to mess up this moment, this moment to finally have a conversation with Sooyoung, but she also knew she had the ability to make any situation awkward.

They sat in a tense silence for a minute, and Sooyoung hummed while looking around the park. God, Wendy dreamed of this moment a few times after she saw the girl for th first time, yet she couldn't even hold a proper dialogue with her. 

"What are you drawing?" Sooyoung asked, drawing her attention to the sketchbook in Wendy's lap. Wendy abruptly closed the book in embarrassment and hugs it sheepishly. 

"It's nothing," she said. She hated showing people her art. Even though she was confident in her skills, she didn't want to hear any possible judgment against her work. Again, art was the only thing she was good at. She didn't want one negative comment to completely ruin the one thing she was passionate about. 

"C'mon, let me see. I already got a quick look at it earlier when you weren't looking," Sooyoung said cooly, crossing her arms against her chest. Wendy looked at her expectant look; she seemed genuinely curious. Wendy immediately gave up and hands her the sketchbook, nervous for Sooyoung's reaction. This was the first time she was showing someone other than her parents and Seulgi her work. She was worried, to say the least. 

Sooyoung eagerly grabbed the sketchbook and flipped through the pages, her expression immediately turning into one of awe. "These are really good, Wendy," she praised, a look of admiration evident on her face. Wendy blushed as she watched the girl's face; she seemed to really like her drawings. 

"Thank you," Wendy mumbled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment. It was one thing to be complimented by Seulgi and her parents, and completely other thing to be complimented by Sooyoung. Usually, she didn't believe when people give her compliments. Whether it be about simple things like her shoes being cute or compliments about her features. She often thought they're just saying that to be nice, because why would other people think highly of her when she didn't even think highly about herself?

But as she watched this girl, the girl that has occupied her mind without permission, admire her work with the prettiest smile she swears she's ever seen, she didn't have trouble believing that Sooyoung truly liked her art.

"What's this?" Sooyoung asked, stopping at a page with an obscure drawing. "It's pretty, but it looks so weird."

Wendy took a closer look at the drawing Sooyoung was referring to and couldn't help but laugh. "That's a 'Dancing Girls' flower."

"Dancing girls?" Sooyoung repeated, lifting her eyebrow in disbelief. "There's no way in hell that's the actual name of a flower."

Wendy laughed, "No, seriously. It's called the 'Dancing Girls' flower." Sooyoung still seemed to distrust her, so Wendy took out her phone and showed her the article she found online. 

"See, it's called the 'Dancing Girls' flower. I mean, that's not its real name, but I'm not even going to try to pronounce it." 

"You searched up, '40 of the world's weirdest flowers' on the internet?" Sooyoung asked, her eyes humorous. 

Wendy suddenly felt embarrassed when she realized the title of the article was there for her to see. She tucked her phone away and grabbed the sketchbook from Sooyoung's hands. 

"Anyway, look," Wendy changed the subject. "Here's the 'Monkey Face Orchid', the 'Bee Orchid', the 'Devils Hand'" she said as she flipped through the pages. 

"And my personal favorite, the 'Swaddled Babies Orchid'," Wendy said, pointing at her drawing. She had just finished this drawing last period during History, and she was quite proud of the outcome. She'd been working on it for a while because she couldn't seem to get the weird shape right. 

"Oh my god, it really does look like Swaddled babies," Sooyoung laughed, taking a closer look at the drawing.

Wendy nodded in agreement and closed her sketchbook. Just minutes ago, she was doubted she could hold a conversation with Sooyoung, but she's already shown her her precious sketchbook that's forbidden for even Seulgi to touch, and it's only been about fifteen minutes since they've properly met. 

"So," Sooyoung started, picking at the grass, "Why are you even ditching? I don't think I've ever seen you here at this time." 

"Oh," Wendy said, feeling slightly embarrassed, "I didn't study for my Calculus test so my friend wrote me a note so I could ditch.." 

Sooyoung smirked at her, "That's the reason why?" Wendy nodded as she stared at the flower in front of her as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. She probably seemed like a total loser. 

"That test was easy. You should've just taken it," Sooyoung said cockily, leaning back on the trunk. Wendy couldn't deny; she was surprised. She didn't want to be stereotypical, but she couldn't imagine one of the most popular girls in school staying up to study for a Calculus test the next day. Plus, mostly seniors took Calculus at her school, and Sooyoung was a junior. How could she be beautiful, athletic, and smart? God truly had favorites. 

Wendy didn't realize she hadn't replied yet, and Sooyoung laughed lightly, as if she expected her reaction. "What, did you not expect me to be in Calculus? Is it because I'm a cheerleader?" 

Wendy immediately shook her head. That wasn't what she mean't at all. She didn't want her to get the wrong idea. 

"What, do I seem just seem like an airhead to you?" She pressed. Wendy looks at Sooyoung and she didn't seem as lighthearted as she did moments before. She seemed, well, disappointed. She must've gotten this reaction far too many times to count. 

"No, I just.. I was just thinking about how you're good at everything," Wendy blurted out. It was probably something creepy to say during ones' first conversation, but it was the truth. Wendy wanted her to know that. 

Sooyoung seemed surprised, confused, even. She definitely was not expecting that response.

"Y-you're just so likeable but you're athletic too.. I mean you're the captain of the cheerleading team.. And now you just told me you're in one of the hardest classes at our school, so I was thinking about how you're really good at everything," Wendy stuttered, tripping on her words multiple times while speaking. She looked up at Sooyoung hesitantly to see her reaction and she couldn't tell how the girl was feeling. She seemed speechless, confused, and even touched. 

"You really think so?" Sooyoung asked softly. Wendy nodded before the girl could even finish her sentence. She did think so, she really did. 

After a few seconds of silence, Sooyoung extended her hand towards Wendy. "Give me your phone," she said. 

"Why?" Wendy asked, but her hand already found her way into her pocket. She placed her phone on Sooyoung's palm and watched as she silently tapped on the screen. After she was finished, she handed Wendy her phone back.

"Send me a text tonight. I'll tell you what was on the Calculus test." Sooyoung said, standing up and brushing the dirt off of her pants. 

"W-what?" Wendy said, not believing her ears. 

"I'll talk to you later, Wendy," Sooyoung smiled, squeezing her shoulder before walking past her. Sooyoung left before Wendy could respond and Wendy swore her heart was about to beat out of her chest. She smiled at her phone, and turned around to say good-bye, but her smile quickly faded when she saw who now accompained her crush. 

A tall figure had an arm wrapped around Sooyoung's waist securely, and she could hear the girl's giggles from where she was sitting. 

Sooyoung had a boyfriend. 


	2. you got me wrapped around your finger

"Seulgi, what the fuck do I do?"

Five hours had already passed, and Wendy was still in disbelief about what had happened at the park. After Sooyoung had left, Wendy sat under the tree for a while and tried to process everything that had happened. She was confused about how the girl had just randomly talked to her about her Swaddled Babies drawing, happy that she finally got to see her beautiful smile up close, but she was also disappointed that she had a boyfriend. 

(Who is she kidding, why wouldn't she have a boyfriend?) 

To be frank, Sooyoung didn't seem queer to Wendy. She didn't want to base her gay-dar off of stereotypes, but she seemed like a straight girl to her-- although she didn't want to admit it. It would only serve as more of a reason as to why Sooyoung was completely unattainable, and how her crush would just be left as unrequited and eventually end as unrequited. 

She'd been on the phone for the past half-hour now, rambling to Seulgi about what had happened. _Don't miss out any details,_ Seulgi had said. Wendy has always been an observant person, so she made sure she didn't. Though, she decided to not mention the fact that she'd never felt this way around anyone before. Just her. Just Sooyoung. 

"Just call her! It's not that big of deal," Seulgi said nonchalantly. How could she be so nonchalant? This was her crush she was talking about. Sure, they had a pretty good conversation earlier, but she's awkward whenever she's on the phone with her grandma. How would she be normal over the phone with the prettiest girl in the world?

"Plus, she's literally offering to give you the answers to the test. You need to ace this test, you sure as hell aren't going to study tonight, and you'll get to talk to Sooyoung more. There's literally no reason why you should not call her." 

"You're right," Wendy said, flopping onto her queen-sized bed. She's always been a worrisome person. Whether it be as simple as ordering something new at her favorite smoothie shop, or debating whether or not she should cut her hair, she had a tendency to worry about everything. _Have some confidence!_ her family always says. It seems to come so naturally to others, but she can't even wear new shoes without worrying that others might judge her. 

"I just don't want to say something weird during our call and make her think I'm lame, I guess." 

Seulgi laughed. "You don't have to worry about that. You're already lame." 

"Hey!" Wendy retorted. "She doesn't need to know what." 

"It's one of the things I love about you. Don't worry, okay? It's gonna be great. You're going to woo her over, and next thing you know, you're going to be making out with those luscious lips of hers and you'll brag to me until I have to yell at you to stop," Seulgi snickered. Wendy rolled her eyes. She could only wish that were the case.

"Too bad she's straight and has a boyfriend."

"You don't know that. He could be a beard. I honestly think she might be bisexual," Seulgi said. 

"I doubt it. And they seemed pretty happy," Wendy mumbled, playing with her light green flower-patterned sheets.

"Well, you never know. And it's 9 pm, you should probably call Sooyoung before she thinks you bailed on her," Seulgi said. 

"Alright.. wish me luck," Wendy said in a fake cheerful voice. Seulgi bids her goodbye and a soft _Good Luck!_ before hanging up. She scrolled through her contacts until she found her contact.

_Park Sooyoung_ it read. 

She hovered her finger over the call button, and before she pressed down, she let out a few, _Hey there_ 's, _Hi Sooyoung how do you do_ 's, _Hello. It's Wendy_ 's for practice, but they all sounded awkward as hell. 

She sighed and pressed the screen, watching as the 0:00 started to count. She felt her heartbeat pick up as she listened to the phone ring and waited for Sooyoung to hopefully pick up the phone. 

"Hey!" An eager voice responded shortly after. Wendy felt her cheeks heat up; she was _definitely_ pink. "What took so long?" 

"Sorry, I was.." Wendy thought of an excuse. She couldn't just tell her that she was pacing in her room for the past few hours worrying about their phonecall for a test because she was nervous. But she also didn't want to make it seem like she was avoiding her or that she didn't have any consideration for Sooyoung's nice. 

"I was.. I was baby-sitting my dog." Wendy concluded. _Fuck_ she thinks. Baby-sitting her dog? That didn't even sound belivable in the slightest. 

"Oh.. well that's valid," Sooyoung said, surprising Wendy. "Dogs are too precious to be left alone. What's your dog's name?" 

Wendy didn't even have a dog. Her parents hate how cats and dogs shed, so they vowed to never have furred animals in their household. She did have a pet hamster, though. Wannie. 

"It's.. Wannie," Wendy said, her voice uneasy as if she was asking a question. 

"Aww, that's a cute name. Why'd you name it that?" Sooyoung asked. 

Wendy reddened. She didn't name her hamster. Her parents actually did. They didn't approve of the names she suggested: Dumpling, Marshy.. Ratatouille.. So they decided to go with Wannie. It was a childhood nickname for her since her Korean name is Seungwan. But people don't know that unless she explains the story, so they just assume she's narcissitic and named it after herself. 

"Well.. funny story," Wendy said, laughing in embarrassment. "Maybe I'll tell you when we have time.. can we work on the exam first?" 

Sooyoung giggled, "Okay. Fair enough. Just know that I have a fantastic memory so I will definitely ask you what the story is later."

"Deal." 

\-- 

"And for the last problem, you have to determine the velocity of the object at any time using that same equation and explain whether the object would ever stop changing," Sooyoung explained. Wendy's pen hadn't stopped moving since the beginning of their call, and her hand was cramping after two hours of continuous writing. 

"Jesus christ," Wendy said. "If I didn't ditch class I would've failed for sure."

The sound of Sooyoung's laugh echoed in her ear. "What would you do without me?" 

Wendy smiled. This was probably the first and only time Wendy had fun while working on Calculus. Sooyoung was a great tutor, and to her surprise, she had remembered every single problem on the test. If it were Wendy, she would've forgotten every single aspect of the test as soon as she walked out of the door.

Plus, they would occasionally go off topic and talk about random things like when Sooyoung accidentally dropped Joohyun while they were practicing stunts. 

_"Listen, I was really sore that day because we did a shit ton of physical training the day before. You can't blame me!"_

_"Sooyoung, you dropped your best friend and she fell and sprained her wrist."_

_"She was fine after a few days! I'm only human okay."_

_"Now I'm gonna hold my breath whenever you do stunts at games."_

_"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."_

Needless to say, 80% of their phonecall consisted of laughter, and 20% of it was actual Calculus. But, it was still the most productive Wendy had been in a long time. 

Considering their conversation earlier, she knew Sooyoung was smart. She wouldn't be in one of the hardest classes in school if she wasn't smart. But the way she articulated the problems and perfectly explained the concepts, she concluded that this girl was probably one of the smartest people she's ever met. 

"Well, thank you, Sooyoung," Wendy said. "I really appreciate your help." She really did appreciate her help. No one had ever gone out of their way to help her like this. Not that she really liked accepting help, though. But, she couldn't help but wonder by Sooyoung was so eager to help her in the first place. 

"Well I'm not doing this for free," Sooyoung said, her voice playful. 

"What?" Wendy asked. Was she going to make her pay for the test answers?

"Send me your address. I skipped dinner waiting for your phonecall, and I think I deserve some _kimbap_. Don't you think?"

Wendy's lips curved into a big smile. 

"Yeah, I think you do." 

"Good, I'll be there soon." 

\---

Ten minutes after Wendy had sent Sooyoung her address, the girl sent her a simple _I'm here_ and it finally hit her that she was going to get kimbap with _fucking_ Park Sooyoung at 11 pm. She should be getting ready for bed at this hour. But this was Sooyoung. She would probably run to her home at four in the morning if the girl had told her to. 

The rest of her family slept early too, so she managed to sneak out of the house with ease. Thankfully they were all deep-sleepers, because if her parents had found out she had left without telling them, they would never let her see light again. She was always embarrassed at how her overprotective her parents were. Seulgi's parents let her go out at two in the morning if she wants, but Wendy's would call the police for a missing persons report if she wasn't in the house at twelve am. 

She quietly closed her front door and saw a black convertible parked in front of her house. It was the latest Mercedes Benz model, on top of that. _So this girl's perfect and rich, too?_ She thought to herself.

She walks towards the car and stuffs her hands in her hoodie pocket. She suddenly felt insecure at the sight of the expensive car. Her house wasn't big at all. It wasn't exactly small either, but it was probably tiny compared to Sooyoung's. Plus, not a lot of people have been to her house in the first place. 

The windows are heavliy tinted, so she can barely see Sooyoung's face. Just a black figure. She opened the door and was instantly met with a strong smell of perfume. Sooyoung's perfume. 

"Hey!" Sooyoung greeted her, giving her a big smile. She smiled back at her and quickly took a seat in her car before closing the door. 

Sooyoung looked beautiful. Her makeup was done perfectly, and she was dressed as if she were ready to go to a party. She was wearing a black off the shoulder top, and it took everything in her to not stare at her porcelain shoulders.

Suddenly, Wendy felt insecure. She was wearing sweatpants and a sweater, while Sooyoung looked like she belonged on the front cover of a magazine. It just further reminded her about how out of her league she was. 

"There's this really good kimbap place nearby here. We should go there," Sooyoung said, starting her engine. Wendy nodded and looked out the window, too shy and embarrassed to look anywhere else. She didn't want to go on her phone because that would seem rude. She didn't want to look like a robot and look straight. And she definitely didn't want to stare at Sooyoung (although she really _really_ wanted to) because she didn't know if she would be able to stop if she started. So, she decided to look out the window as if it were the most entertaining thing ever. 

After a few moments of awkward silence, Wendy clears her throat and musters the courage to ask her a question. "So.. how was your day?" 

_How was your day? Really Wendy?_ She thinks to herself. 

"It was alright. I went bowling with Doyoung and it was pretty fun." Sooyoung replied, her eyes on the road. 

_Doyoung must be her boyfriend,_ Wendy thought. It was definitely her least favorite name in the world now. 

Wendy hummed in response and turned her head to look at the window again. The streets were completely empty and she thinks she's only seen one person walking so far, which was strange since it was a Friday night. 

"Why is it so awkward all of a sudden?" Sooyoung asked, stopping at a red light and turning to face Wendy. "I feel like we were fine over the phone."

People asked Wendy this question all the time. _Why are you so awkward? Why is it so awkward?_ She was just never great at making conversations. Plus, in all honesty, she felt insecure. Not only was she insecure about her entire existence in general, but she was insecure because she wasn't even sure why Sooyoung wanted to hang out with her in the first place. The girl had a countless number of friends, everyone at school either wanted her or wanted to be her, and she had a _fucking_ boyfriend. So, why her? She wouldn't even choose her if she had the choice. 

But she didn't want to tell Sooyoung that. It would be weird if she spilled about her 18 years worth of insecurity, especially when they had only properly met today. 

"I don't know. I'm just shy, I guess." Wendy said sheepishly. It was the truth. Not the entire truth, but it was true. 

Sooyoung laughed softly. It didn't have any sort of mockery in it, and it didn't seem like she was laughing because she was amused either. It was more of a comforting laugh. The red hue from the traffic light reflected on her face, and the sight of her wide smile and scrunched eyes was something Wendy wished she could capture. But she knew that even the most advanced camera or the world's most talented painter wouldn't do the sight justice. So all she could do was study her face and hope that this memory would last forever. 

"You don't have to be shy. Not with me, at least," Sooyoung said, giving her a reassuring look and stepping on the gas when the traffic light changed to green. She turned from Wendy's gaze and focused on the street once again, prompting Wendy to do the same. Her words echoed in her head. 

_You don't have to be shy. Not with me, at least._

She doesn't know why, but she likes the sound of that. 

_You don't have to be shy. Not with me, at least._

\--- 

"Tell me this isn't the best kimbap you've ever had." Sooyoung said, a piece of kimbap stuffed in her mouth. 

  
Wendy nodded eagerly, taking a bite of another piece. It was definitely the best kimbap she's ever tried. Maybe it's because she was with Sooyoung, sitting in front of the Han River. But nevertheless, it was undoubtedly delicious. 

"It really is. You weren't lying when you said its good," Wendy prompted, watching the girl happily eat. Obviously, Wendy paid. It was the least she could do when Sooyoung had basically taken her test for her. Plus, she was glad she did. Because the way the girl's face lit up when she told her it's on her tonight, and the way she looked so content just by a roll of kimbap was so worth it. 

Sooyoung nodded, taking a sip of her _shikhae. "_ This was very much needed." 

Wendy watched her expression slightly turn serious. The girl definitely seemed like she was trying to hide it, but it obvious that the girl had something on her mind. She didn't want to press though. They had only met today, and she would probably tell her what was happening if she really wanted to. 

They sat in a comfortable silence and the only thing they could hear was the sound of Sooyoung swishing her cup of shikhae. There weren't many people around since they found a pretty isolated place to sit. It was nice and quiet, just like how Wendy liked it. All she could see was the ripples of the flowing river, which seemed to somewhat calm her. 

After their conversation in the car, Wendy loosened up a bit. It didn't take long for them to start talking about random things again. It really wasn't hard to make conversation with Sooyoung. She was a really easygoing person, and definitely loved talking. Wendy was a big listener, and enjoyed giving people their own space to vent or just ramble. That's why her and Seulgi were so compatible. 

Oddly enough, it didn't feel like Wendy had just started talking to Sooyoung today. She's never warmed up this fast to anyone before. Even Seulgi. Sure, she wasn't completely comfortable with Sooyoung yet. But the way their conversations flowed definitely made it seem like they'd talked a lot before. 

They were sitting next to each other-- Wendy opting for criss cross apple sauce while Sooyoung had her knees up. They weren't shoulder to shoulder, but she could feel their heat radiating against each other. Wendy wondered if Sooyoung was cold; she was just wearing a skirt and an off shoulder top. 

"I didn't really have a great day today," Sooyoung said suddenly. She rested her chin on her knees and wrapped her arms around them. She suddenly seemed so small. Vulnerable almost. She couldn't see her face that well-- just the side of her face-- but she could tell the girl had a lot on her mind. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" Wendy offered hesitantly. She didn't want to push any boundaries. 

"It's not that big of a deal," Sooyoung started. "I just fought with Doyoung today." 

"Why would that not be a big deal? It definitely is," Wendy said, concern laced in her voice. Sure, she would rather talk about anything but Sooyoung's boyfriend, but the girl seemed upset and if she wanted to vent, she would be there for her. 

"I don't know. I know all couples fight but.." Sooyoung said, taking a sip of her drink. "We just fight a lot. Like a _lot._ " 

Wendy nodded understandingly. In all honesty, she was touched that the girl was even telling her about this. They barely knew each other. 

"It's normal to fight in a relationship, but I can only imagine how hard it is for you if it happens that often." Wendy said, studying the cheerleader's face. 

"Yeah," Sooyoung whispered. "It's been hard." 

Wendy watched the girl as she stared at the river in front of them. She seemed so lost in thought. There are many emotions that she could use to describe the look on Sooyoung's face. She didn't exactly seem sad-- she seemed more contemplative. But the one thing she hated to see the most was her look of restlessness. As if she was tired. Tired of the situation she was in. 

_Why is she telling me this?_ She thought. It seemed like a personal situation, and she wasn't sure why Sooyoung trusted her out of all people to tell. She seemed to have a lot of friends. But, she wouldn't ask her that. She didn't want to make Sooyoung feel uncomfortable, especially when she made the decision to tell specifically Wendy about her problem. 

"Are you comfortable with me knowing this?" Wendy decided to ask. That was the most important thing for her. Sooyoung's comfort. She didn't want her to feel uneasy knowing that Wendy knew about this. 

Sooyoung nodded, turning to look at Wendy. She gave her a lazy smile and Wendy can't help but feel her heart race at the girl's expression. 

"I don't know why, but I feel comfortable with you. I know we only met today, but.. Is that weird?" Sooyoung said, her eyes never leaving Wendy's. Wendy feels her heart clench at the girl's words. It wasn't weird at all. It was exactly how she felt too. And hearing that the girl felt that same way that she did, well, it meant everything to her. 

"No," Wendy shakes her head, "It's not weird at all. I feel the same way." 

Sooyoung's smile widened at Wendy's words and she breaks their eye contact to turn and look at the river once again. Wendy however, couldn't seem to turn away from her. She studied Sooyoung's face: her eyes, her perfect nose, her pink lips. Everything about her was perfect. She didn't know it was possible, but she looked even more beautiful than before. Seeing Sooyoung in a vulnerable state, simply admiring the nature; she just couldn't find a single flaw.

They didn't talk about Doyoung for the rest of the night. They mostly sat in a comfortable silence at the river and eventually sang along to Wendy's throwback playlist at the top of their lungs with the windows down during their car ride back. 

She didn't know much about Sooyoung yet, and had no idea why her heart skipped a beat every time the girl smiled at her; all she knew was that Sooyoung's singing voice and the freckles underneath her eyes were probably her favorite things in the world, and that she never wanted to see Sooyoung upset ever again. 

\---

After their date? hangout? (Wendy doesn't really know what to call it, though Seulgi claims it was a date.) Sooyoung told Wendy that they should hang out more often. Of course, Wendy gladly accepted. She loved spending time with Sooyoung. However, Seulgi was constantly reminding her of how she was signing herself up for heartbreak. 

_(She was already falling deeper.)_

_"Look, it's great that you and Sooyoung are hanging out. But you have feelings for her, and she has a boyfriend. Unless I'm right about the boyfriend being a beard, don't you think hanging out with her often would be a bad idea?" Seulgi suddenly asked when they were at their favorite café in Yongsan._

_Wendy mixed her green tea with her metal straw, staring at her drink as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. Seulgi was undoubtedbly right. Wendy knew she would probably catch more feelings for Sooyoung overtime, especially if they spent more time together. They'd been texting nonstop since the Han River two days ago, even facetiming to "study" for Wendy's Calculus test, but really it was just an excuse to talk because they would end up going off topic every ten minutes._

_"I think it'll be fine. Just being friends is fine. I just like her company, that's all." Wendy said. She knew Seulgi didn't believe her by the way she raised her eyebrows and sucked in her breath before taking a sip of her ice vanilla latte._

Truth was, she couldn't blame her. She didn't really believe herself either. She always had a tiny voice in the back of her head reminding her that maybe this was a bad idea; but she was too happy getting to know Sooyoung that all those possible consequences didn't seem nearly as important as hearing the cheerleader's ecstatic laugh through her iPhone speakers.

She promises both herself and Seulgi that she won't get too attached to Sooyoung. 

(They both know she's bullshitting herself.) 

\---

Wendy's more than confident that she got a 100% on her exam. 

She even turned in her exam early after double checking her answers twice. Her Calculus study sessions with Sooyoung definitely paid off, and she walked out of class with a big smile on her face once the bell rang for passing period.

Seulgi was waiting at their usual meeting spot after Calculus on her phone, right in front of the water fountain nearby their lockers.

Wendy quietly ran over to her best friend and abruptly grabbed her shoulders, earning a loud shriek from Seulgi. 

"What the fuck was that for?!" Seulgi groaned, her hand placed over her heart. Wendy couldn't stop laughing at the girl's reaction, and slaps Seulgi's shoulders as a result. A big habit of hers: slapping people when she laughed. 

Wendy caught her breath and leaned against Seulgi's shoulder, small giggles continuing to escape from her lips. 

"I'm sorry, the opportunity was right there and I just had to," Wendy said, unsuccessfully blocking Seulgi's butt slaps in revenge. 

"Someone's in a good mood," her best friend said, eventually giving up and smiling at her. "Miss Perfect Sooyoung must've been a good tutor." 

"Yeah," Wendy nodded in acknowledgement, leaning to take a sip from the water fountain. 

While she sipped from the fountain, she felt a sudden vibration from her back pocket, signalling that she probably either got a text message or a notification from Candy Crush. 

She quickly wiped the drops of water from her mouth with her sleeve and took out her iPhone to check. Her smile widened when she saw that it was a message from Sooyoung, or as her phone said: Torrance Shipman.

**[1:46 P.M.] Torrance Shipman:** how did the calc test go???

**[1:46 P.M.] Wendy:** I forsure aced it.. Thanks to you :p

Wendy was probably smiling like a maniac based on Seulgi's amused expression as she watched her reply to Sooyoung. 

**[1:47 P.M.] Torrance Shipman:** ur lucky u have someone like me :) wanna get boba after ur last class? 

**[1:47 P.M.] Wendy:** Only if ur paying :D

**[1:47 P.M.] Torrance Shipman:** woww i have to pay for friends now? 

**[1:47 P.M.] Torrance Shipman:** fine. but only because u think u did good on ur exam 

**[1:48 P.M.] Wendy:** Yayy <3 wanna meet at the tree? 

**[1:48 P.M.] Torrance Shipman:** u read my mind. if ur even a minute late i'm leaving without u!

**[1:49 P.M.] Wendy:** I'll go as fast as my short legs can take me

Wendy locked her phone before stuffing it back into her pocket, her grin refusing to leave her lips. She glanced at her smirking best friend who immediately slung her arm around her shoulders and ruffled her hair, earning a _Hey!_ from Wendy.

"God, you are so whipped." Seulgi laughed. She dragged her to their last class and continuously mocked the series of excuses that left Wendy's mouth.

They both knew it was the truth. 

\---

**[2:35 P.M.] Torrance Shipman:** btw, y can't i get a cute contact name?! 

**[2:37 P.M.] Wendy:** Torrance shipman is an iconic cheerleader character!! u should be honored

 **[2:38 P.M.] Wendy:** And ur contact for me is literally just Wendy!

**[2:38 P.M.] Torrance Shipman:** fine. what abt now?

**[2:39 P.M.] Wendy Van Gogh:** Much better.

\---

Wendy did indeed walk as fact as her short legs could take her. She got to the park twice as fast as it would usually take her, but it didn't stop Sooyoung from locking the doors and pretending to drive away for five whole minutes. Wendy called her a sadist once she finally was allowed to go inside of her car because of the way Sooyoung laughed hysterically while Wendy ran after her car. 

_"Come on. It was funny," Sooyoung had said once she calmed down from her laughter._

_"Tell that to the Birkenstocks I decided to wear today," Wendy groaned._

_"Hey, I'm buying you boba! You can't be mad at me."_

_"I guess you're right."_

After they had got their boba -- Sooyoung settling for a soundingly disgusting 0% Sugar Grapefruit Green Tea and Wendy getting her usual Black Milk Tea with extra pearls -- they decided to sit in Sooyoung's car and listen to music and just talk. 

Whenever they were in the car, Sooyoung always immediately offered Wendy the AUX to play music. Wendy had a very dynamic music taste, but she usually settled for either pop or indie music. 

"Is it Her" by Video Age was playing softly in the background as they conversed about their day, and she decided that this song sounded even better when she listened to it with someone like Sooyoung. 

"So are you ever going to tell me about why your dog is named Wannie?" Sooyoung said, chewing on a boba pearl with expectant eyes. Wendy felt her cheeks heat up. Sooyoung wasn't kidding when she said she had a good memory. She completely forgot about how she had told Sooyoung that she had a dog. She should probably tell her the truth soon, but she was too embarrassed to tell her that she blurted out a half-lie due to nervousness.

"It's really embarrassing, okay.. Promise you won't make fun of me?" Wendy asked. Sooyoung nodded eagerly, but the both of them knew she was lying by the way they smiled at each other. 

Wendy crossed her legs and slightly reclined her seat. "Okay, well, my Korean name's SeungWan, so my parents took   
Wan and --"

Sooyoung laughed loudly before Wendy could even finish her sentence. Her cheeks heated up more as she watched the girl laugh and she couldn't help but laugh along with her.

"No, oh my god. That is so cute," Sooyoung said, wiping fake tears from her eyes. 

"Yeah.. it's kind of embarrassing so I don't really tell people." Wendy said, continuing to drink her almost-empty cup. 

"Well, I'm honored, then," Sooyoung smiled, placing her cup back into the cupholder. 

Wendy nodded slightly. 

"I like your Korean name, by the way," Sooyoung said, diverting her complete attention to Wendy. Wendy raised her eyebrow before following and placing her now empty cup in the cup holder. 

"That's a first," Wendy said, confusion laced in her voice. She was always insecure about her Korean name. People would often make fun of her Korean name and say that it sounded manly. That's why she went by her English name instead.

"Really?" Sooyoung said, evidently surprised. "I actually really like it. What does it mean?" 

Wendy admittedly felt touched that the girl liked her Korean name. It always served as an insecurity and only her parents called her Seungwan (Seulgi sometimes, too, when she pretended to be serious.) 

"It means excel, or to be better than." Wendy laughed. "Kind of ironic, isn't it." 

Sooyoung furrowed her eyebrows. "Why would it be ironic? It totally matches you."

Wendy felt her heart warm by the girl's words. She never heard that before. That such a seemingly strong name matched her perfectly. The meaning of her name only seemed like something that mocked her, because she never felt like it resonated with her at all. She wished it did though. It was everything she wanted to represent. But hearing Sooyoung say such a seemingly simple sentence, she realized how desperately she wanted someone to tell her that. 

"Really?" 

"Yeah, really. Why would I lie to you about that?" Sooyoung said, sounding as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. 

Wendy nodded, a smile creeping on her face.

"Can I call you that?" Sooyoung asked. 

"Seungwan?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah, sure. Only my parents call me that. You'll be the first after them." Wendy laughed softly. It wasn't a laugh of amusement, but more of a shy laugh. 

"I must be pretty special, huh?" Sooyoung smiled, poking Wendy's shoulder. 

"Yeah, you really are." 

If only the girl knew how special she really was to her. 

\---

please leave a comment about your thoughts/opinions and an upvote!! i would reallyyy appreciate it! thanks and have a good day <3

**Author's Note:**

> hello and thank you for reading! i originally posted this fic on AFF, but I wanted to also post for the ao3 readers. please leave a comment and kudos if you can! stay safe!


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